What is my g-body worth

[King_V]

(Note, when I say "you" in this thread, I mean that generically, not specifically to the OP)

The basic problem with even trying to do something like this is gathering a huge collection of recent sales data on these cars.

Ultimately, though, and I swear I *hate* hearing this sentence, but . . . "It's worth what someone's willing to pay for it."

Or, "It's worth what they guy who wants your particular year/make/model/stock-or-modified-combination is willing to pay for it."

Which, in effect, is almost no answer. Or, maybe "How long are you willing to wait for the buyer who REALLY wants your car, and how much effort are you willing to put into finding that buyer?"

Classic example right in this thread:

..........................................$8k on a more rare car like an aero coupe, 2+2 or GN (I don't care for the 442, sorry) that is clean, unmolested and unrestored.

So, while theoretically the 442 in the same shape as a 2+2/aero coupe/GN would be worth the same, for t01blaze, the 442, otherwise in equivalent condition, is worth less than the others.

It's a ridiculously subjective market. Not just WHAT the prospective buyer wants, but WHY they want it.


Heck, on CL, there's this 1979 Grand Prix somewhere in my area. Guy's had it listed for quite some time - and, oddly, I would LIKE to have a very low mileage 1979 231 A/G body (a tad more power that year, the first year of the taller heads on the V6, AC equipped). Looks exceptionally clean.

However, I'm not willing to pay what the owner's asking. Originally was a little more than now, but the owner dropped the price once, and there the price has stayed for a few months. I think that, even in its condition, for a V6 car, it's overpriced. I might well be a cheap SOB in thinking so, or the consensus might be that I'm right in thinking it's overpriced.

BUT, I'd also want to use it as a "classic driver". That has some effect on what I'm willing to pay or not pay as well.

The economy also affects these things.

It's just really hard to determine...

 

[Intragration]

different areas of the country different values.

I think this is the key. They go for wildly different prices, depending on what area you're in, and what kind of condition they're in. Prices also seem to fluctuate on a regular basis. A G-body, ANY G-body, isn't like a 1970 HemiCuda, which is going to get attention from around the world, and be priced according to a more universal scale. There are a lot more G-bodies, and they tend to be in a wide range of condition of repair and modification. They are harder-to-come-by in certain conditions in certain areas, and unless a guy is truly on the hunt for a specific car, a car in a particular region isn't going to get any attention from more than maybe 100 miles away. A car that would be fairly priced in California or Arizona might be a STEAL in Chicago, but there aren't a lot of guys who are going to pay to ship a $4,000 G-body 1,000+ miles.

 

[workinProgress]

I highly doubt you will get any sort of info you would want here on this. Since most of buying and selling a "classic" car is objective in nature. If you can find the right buyer, they will spend any amount to get the right car.

You really have to take a lot into account to determine price of a vehicle. First is the area your in, the market for that specific car, then you have to account for OEM or modded car. Numbers matching classics tend to sell higher than modded cars/ non OEM. But again, that also depends on the buyer.

The condition of the vehicle, is a huge factor too. Dont think your going to take a 30yr old car that does not have a high demand and turn some huge profit on it. Its not an MK4 supra or something. (which can easily sell for 20-50k)

Figure the value of your car is subjective to the buyers your trying to sell to....

as stated before this is not about import cars

I get this isnt about imports, but never the less, the car i used as an example is to the import crowd the same as say a hemi cuda, roadrunner, challenger, or any other classic muscle car. The G body platform is still not quite as rare as the big dollar muscle cars. As they become harder to find the prices will go up for those willing to pay for them. Yet again, the sale of a car is completely subjective. Really a car is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. I have seen rusted out junk heaps go for 50k because someone had it, and someone wanted it bad enough for their own reason. Maybe a sentimental value to the person with money. Geographical location plays a big difference in there too. Since a southern car without much chance of frame rot is generally likely to be priced higher than a vehicle from the NW US. Thanks to snow, road salt, and other things that eat away these cars. And for places outside the US where these cars may be even more rare to find, they could potentially be worth even more. Would be no different than looking at the GTO vs the Monaro. Same cars essentially, but your going to spend a ton more to get a holden shipped in than to find someone selling a GTO in the states. Then you have to take in account for exchange rates and so on when it comes to international buyers too. There is a lot to consider when your talking about price points for a car like these.

my cutlass I basically got for free on a trade for another vehicle I had. I know I would not have spent much on this particular car as it needs a ton of work, but the price tag of free makes it much better.

 

[motorheadmike]

different areas of the country different values.

I think this is the key. They go for wildly different prices, depending on what area you're in, and what kind of condition they're in. Prices also seem to fluctuate on a regular basis. A G-body, ANY G-body, isn't like a 1970 HemiCuda, which is going to get attention from around the world, and be priced according to a more universal scale. There are a lot more G-bodies, and they tend to be in a wide range of condition of repair and modification. They are harder-to-come-by in certain conditions in certain areas, and unless a guy is truly on the hunt for a specific car, a car in a particular region isn't going to get any attention from more than maybe 100 miles away. A car that would be fairly priced in California or Arizona might be a STEAL in Chicago,

The last two G-bodies I bought were about 600kms from my house...

but there aren't a lot of guys who are going to pay to ship a $4,000 G-body 1,000+ miles.

And the station wagon (roller) was imported out of Kansas and cost as much to buy as it did to ship/import.

All of these cars I bought because I wanted them, and went the extra distance to get them. Some were better values than others - but, each has a purpose.

 

[Intragration]

The last two G-bodies I bought were about 600kms from my house...

So what? This proves that you are the exception to the rule. I'm sure there are G-bodies that have been shipped to Japan and Europe. Again, so what? The last G-body I bought was $1,200 and it was 50 miles away. Most guys, MOST guys, are going to buy a car that's close to them. The fact that YOU bought cars that were far away proves nothing. It's interesting though.

 

[MUELLERBU]

you guys seem to be missing the point I wanted some type of input as to how start a way to point by point how to grade a g body not to argue where u bought it or for how much but to start a maybe 10 point system to start may be more but that's up to you guys

 

[Intragration]

The title of the thread is "what is my g-body worth" though. And I think the point is, there is more than just condition or "grade" to consider. Condition of course matters. But so do rarity, location, and the demand for a particular car, not to mention originality or desirable mods. Another aspect to consider is, unlike the most desirable classic muscle cars that can fetch $100k plus, where a $20-50k swing isn't unusual, G-bodies are generally cheap and plentiful. You can pick up a pristine example for under $10k. There's a guy here with a very nice Malibu with great upgrades that he paid almost $40k to complete. He's looking to sell for fifty cents on the dollar. Again, it's a FANTASTIC car. But it will NEVER sell at that price. It's not like an all-original 1970 HemiCuda, where there are only 10 in existence, and a guy who's willing to pay top-dollar has an extra $100k to add to a typical, say, $150k price tag. A guy who wants the most perfect 1986 442 in existence might pay $20k for it, and only because it's 100% original and low-mile, and because he WANTS a 100% original low-mile 1986 442. How many guys are there like this? I suppose if there are several, maybe there would be a bidding war, and it could go for $25k or $30k. (has this EVER happened? Maybe with GNXs...) But if he can't get it for that price, what's to stop him from including 1968-1972 A-bodies and F-bodies from his search? With G-bodies, most of the time, it seems that if a guy is looking for a particular car, he has a budget for it, and if the car he's looking at is outside of his budget, he'll just look further away and find another car that fits his budget, or wait. If he pays the same to ship it as he pays for the car, then he's just a very particular sort of guy. BTW, this is a GENERALIZATION. Please don't quote me and say how you paid $4k to have a $1k Cutlass shipped to the Netherlands. That's UNUSUAL.

 

[lilbowtie]

you guys seem to be missing the point I wanted some type of input as to how start a way to point by point how to grade a g body not to argue where u bought it or for how much but to start a maybe 10 point system to start may be more but that's up to you guys

Have you taken a look at the NADA classic car pricing?? They do a great job and take into consideration models and options. An example would be and 86 regal($3250) and an 86 GN($14,050) Under their quotes they give a value description (how to grade)

 

[motorheadmike]

The last two G-bodies I bought were about 600kms from my house...

So what? This proves that you are the exception to the rule. I'm sure there are G-bodies that have been shipped to Japan and Europe. Again, so what? The last G-body I bought was $1,200 and it was 50 miles away. Most guys, MOST guys, are going to buy a car that's close to them. The fact that YOU bought cars that were far away proves nothing. It's interesting though.

What it proves is that a motivated buyer will go lengths to get what he needs, and will incur additional costs/hardships to do so. Unfortunately for the OP, as you have already stated, there is nothing particularly special about most of these cars - so there is no significant value, either real or fabricated (high end auto auctions). There are lots of price guides out there, and insurance companies like Hagerty have databases for agreed values. Otherwise the market will dictate the demand, and outside of the few exceptions that the Turbo Buicks present, there is little "legend" to drive up demand... and even then it doesn't matter.

Perfect example, it took a buddy about 4.5 years to sell his very clean Turbo Limited:
http://www.turbobuicks.com/forums/buick ... -sale.html
http://www.turbobuicks.com/forums/buick ... -sold.html

There is no "gold standard" for G-bodies as they really were built a throw-away cars; the cleaner, the better - and that is about all there is to it.

 

[Intragration]

What it proves is that a motivated buyer will go lengths to get what he needs, and will incur additional costs/hardships to do so. Unfortunately for the OP, as you have already stated, there is nothing particularly special about most of these cars - so there is no significant value, either real or fabricated (high end auto auctions).

I get what you're saying, and I'm the type of guy that would do the same thing. But we are unusual, especially in a market without the "legend" mystique. The number of transactions that we might be involved in and the dollars changing hand in those transactions aren't going to influence the market to any great degree, e.g. when the transportation costs are equivalent to a large percentage of the purchase price. That's all I was trying to say. And sorry, didn't mean to be snippy in my last response to you, I must have been having a bad day. :shock: